Does it feel like you’re the last person calling the shots? Well now’s the time to seize the initiative, get into gear and get back in control of your destiny.
1. Step 1 - Get your priorities right
Do you spend days doing non-essential things that could be left until tomorrow? Maybe you focus on the activities you actually enjoy instead of ones that need urgent attention. However you approach your day, it’s time to start making a list of what you need to achieve in the order it needs to be done. That way you’ll be able to prioritise properly and dedicate the right amount of time to each one - and it will also make your days far more productive and satisfying.
2. Step 2 - Declutter your life
It’s not just belongings and home organisation that we need to attend to if we want to grab back some control. We also need to take a long hard look at the things we spend time on each day without really thinking about how necessary they are. For example, do we really need to spend that hour doing the housework or can it wait till the weekend? Or does that extra time you spend at work after 5.30 really achieve anything? If it can be cut out from your routine, just do it!
3. Step 3 - Declutter your home
Decluttering your home while you’re in the process of working towards long term personal goals can help clear your mind. By removing the extraneous belongings and focusing on what you really do need to live, you’ll be able to see your other priorities. Then, once you’ve dumped the unwanted items or sent them to the charity shop, it’s time to organise the things you do have so you’ll always know where to find them.
4. Step 4 - Make your commute more productive
If you’re travelling by public transport, could you spend your travelling more productively? For example you could be keeping a journal or writing up a list of the day’s priorities. Even if you’re driving you could be listening to an audiobook or even learning a language with an audio course.
5. Step 5 - Share the responsibility
Setting goals for life can be tricky. But one of the easiest and quickest wins you could work towards is sharing out the duties you have at home, with a partner or other members of the family. If it’s you who always has to do the cooking or the washing up, then maybe set up a rota so the tasks are more evenly allotted. You may have to agree to take on some jobs that you don’t normally do yourself, but at least you’ll be able to break out of a rut and feel more supported at home.
6. Step 6 - Re-think your working arrangements
Working from home could be a good way to really get a handle on your work. It may be that you already take quite a lot of work home with you anyway, especially in this age of email and mobile phones which put many of us on call 24/7. This could be a good argument to put to your boss that your time could be spent more productively by home working.
7. Step 7 - Plan meals ahead
For many people, eating is a real pleasure, but sometimes preparing food can be a chore that takes up a considerable amount of time. The alternative is to rely on ready meals and takeaways that, while convenient, would never be included in anyone’s tips to be healthy.
By planning ahead you can have a good diet and save time too. A great way of doing this is to make more than you need each meal, and either freeze the rest or take it in to work for lunch the next day. After just a couple of weeks of doing this, you’ll have built up quite a store of meals that are ready to eat whenever you need them to be.
8. Step 8 - Don’t overdo it
Many of us don’t really have a realistic idea of how to set goals in life. As a result, we overburden ourselves with tasks and objectives, believing that achieving them all will put us in total control. Unfortunately the opposite can happen. When we rush round trying to do a lot we can end up actually achieving very little. This then sets up a situation where we feel super stressed.
It’s far better to stand back and assess what we can realistically achieve within a given time frame. Actually achieving those goals will make us feel that we gaining control of our lives.
9. Step 9 - Become a decision maker
Above all, have the courage of your convictions. To have ultimate control of your life, you will need to be able to make decisions and stick with them. Some will be trivial, others more significant, but they all need to be tackled head on. Once you have got into the habit, it will become second nature and you’ll be amazed at just how empowering the experience can feel. You’ll also find that those around you notice the difference, as you become more determined and purposeful in all areas of your life.
Taking control of your life won’t happen overnight, but regard each stage as a step in the right direction. Then, when you’re on your way to achieving your goals, stand back and admire the results.